Ten Tips on Career Advancement

Many career experts agree that the best time to look for a new job is while you are still comfortably in your old one. If you’re starting to feel unchallenged in your present position, you may be ready for a promotion to the next level. If there aren’t many career advancement opportunities where you work, the best next job may be waiting for you elsewhere.

Nowadays, it’s up to you to take control of your professional future and make sure that you are progressing wisely down the right career path. Here are 10 proven strategies to help you get started:

1. Talk to your boss. Sit down and have a very direct and pointed conversation with your boss about your future in the company. Stress that you want your job performance to meet the company’s goals. Share your own career goals with him or her. Your boss will respect this display of confidence and maturity.


2. Ask for more. Volunteering to help out other departments or teams — or simply asking for more responsibilities — increases your value within the organization. Asking for additional work shows an interest and desire to help your department and company to succeed. It also puts a spotlight on your value to the business.


3. Volunteer for boards. If you have your career set on something beyond what you are doing in your present position, seek out opportunities to volunteer or serve on advisory boards, where you can build a reputation as someone who is passionate and dedicated to your particular industry.


4. Sharpen your people skills. Strong interpersonal skills play a crucial role in gaining the respect of your boss and coworkers; they will also attract the notice of outside influencers who might open new doors of opportunity for you. Be friendly, outgoing, and personable. Listen carefully to people, and practice being a clear and effective communicator.


5. Be innovative. Never be afraid to think outside of the box and put your business acumen to work. Stay on the lookout for creative solutions to problems that will make you — and your boss — look good.


6. Find a mentor. Develop mentoring relationships, either inside or outside the company. Recent studies have shown that four out of five promotions are influenced by a mentor higher up in the company. Mentors are also great sources of information and career guidance.


7. Sell yourself. Learn the fine art of self-promotion. If you have had major accomplishments or created successful programs, make sure people know about it — especially those in influential positions who could help you advance professionally. Let it be known that you are seeking a promotion or the next step up in your career.


8. Keep learning. A proven way to advance in your career is to be continually acquiring new knowledge. Stay on top of trends or developments in your field and make sure that your current résumé reflects those needed skills.


9. Network. Strengthen your personal network and join professional organizations, attend industry conferences, or even volunteer. The more people who are aware of your strengths and abilities, the better your chances of hearing about any new opportunities that might arise.


10. Build your reputation. In business, your reputation is the most valuable thing you own. Be known for being dependable, professional, and cooperative. Act and look the part by dressing professionally. Make a name for yourself by attending conferences, delivering speeches, or writing articles.

Source : allbusiness.com

Career Planning Tips

Building a Career
The 9 most important career planning tips is listed below:

1. Never Stop Learning

• Life-long learning is your keyword.
• The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.
• If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.
• But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.

2. Ask, Listen And Learn

• A good listener can learn a lot.
• Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.
• Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.
• Most people will love to be your free tutor.

3. Fulfill Your Current Job

• Your current job might be best place to start your career.
• It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.
• If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.
• Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.

4. Build Your Network

• Your next career step might arise from your contact network.
• Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?
• If you have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new opportunities.
• Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.
• One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

5. Identify Your Current Job

• Your current job should be identified, not assumed.
• Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.
• When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

6. Identify Your Next Job

• Your dream job must be identified.
• Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.
• In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?
• Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?
• Before building your future career your goal must be identified.

7. Prepare Yourself

• Your dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.
• Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.
• Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.
• If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.

8. Pick The Right Tools

• Pick the tools you can handle.
• You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. Studying at W3Schools is easy. Taking a full master degree is more complicated.
• You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials (like the one you find at W3Schools). Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.
• Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!

9. Realize Your Dreams

• Put your dreams into action.
• Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.
• If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.
• If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

source : w3schools.com

Career tips for professionalism

When you step out into the world with your skills, it’s important to keep a professional attitude going. What is professionalism? This term means that you have to strike that all elusive balance when things are going over the board. Keeping a distance from your peers and colleagues is a healthy sign. Keep the attitude as positive as possible, even when the going gets really tough is absolutely essential. At work we are unnecessarily surrounded by problems that we have nothing to do with. All these generally add to our distractions and instead of conserving our energy for the task at hand, we get trapped in gossip, petty politics and just a waste of time tactics. It is important to keep social contacts but you don’t necessarily have to enter the households of every person you meet.

Focus is very important. You have to deal with distracters and detractors firmly. Time management is an important tool, and so are deadlines. Everything we do is governed by time, so having an attitude that goes beyond timeliness is certainly non-productive. You can strive to excel, but remember all your actions and thoughts have to produce results in the given time frame. Gaining popularity is good, but as you scale the ladder, do not compromise your standards of ethics and productivity for a few moments of cheap fun and publicity. Some people are too harsh and others too soft, you have to fine-tune that balance between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

You yourself are important. If you suffer from low self esteem, people are going to walk all over you. In the long run, don’t keep slaving for others and forget yourself in the bargain. When you are at the giving end of the spectrum, make it felt that you also receive some benefits. Nobody is working for charity in a corporation. If you feel sensitive to an issue mull over how you are going to voice over your concerns to your seniors. Do not allow your seniors or your juniors to get away with wrong doing. Sometimes you have to educate others that what they are up to is no good. For this you need good communication skills, you have to stand up for what you believe in and for yourself. Bring to light all issues being swept under the carpet, but do it diplomatically and with some subtlety and skill. There are some problems you can solve just by facing them squarely instead of covering them up or sweeping them under the carpet.

If you are in a position of power, you can make your subordinates feel really lowly, but give them a positive signal or two so that some hope floats. Lastly, you can be a positive influence of change, even if it means deflating an ego or two. But it’s important that you don’t kill the spirit of the defaulting person at the same time.
Source : http://blogs.mybandra.com/2009/03/05/career-tips-for-professionalism

Powerful Networking

One of the first things you find in situations where you are meeting new people is that they want to know about your work…what you do. They don’t want some long drawn out life history and it would obviously be rude and nonproductive to wave off their interest. Yet, you need to be able to effectively and naturally deliver the info they seek. Stuff like, what your work consists of now, what your experience (work &/or education) is, and maybe a bit about your career goals. They just need to be able to categorize you a bit. Getting categorized sounds rude but it is meant to be helpful. If an opportunity comes up that they want to share, they need to be able to quickly pull you out of their mental filing system. Many people love to make connections and help others this way especially if it is easy and they know just the right person to refer.

So, have you spent time practicing your one minute bio? The exercise feels kinda lame and unnatural but the important thing is that you give it some thought and practice putting your voice to your thoughts about your work — where you have been careerwise and where you are going.

There is an art to networking. It is quite difficult to remember to take a moment to understand who you are interacting with and how to best present yourself in various situations. But keep your mind on it and stay aware for opportunity, not just opportunity for you but opportunity to help others somehow — that is powerful networking. The person you help may not be the one to help you but you set wheels into motion by being generous with your knowledge, info, and positive energy.

Source : http://www.steviesue.com

25 Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

The Graphic Design Career is a fast growing career that is becoming more and more competitive with every passing day. People are realizing how much money is available and how flexible the graphic and web design career really is. You can work full-time in house in a small studio or large agency. You can earn extra money on the side, you can freelance full-time from the comfort of your own home or you can even use your skills in design to you accomplish business projects.

The bottom line is its a great choice for creative people looking to express themselves and earn a decent and comfortable living at the same time.

In order to survive in such a fast growing and competitive field though it is essential you do everything you can as early on as you can. I started in college, but I know people who are freelancing and running businesses and websites at age 14 and even younger! The age aspect should not discourage you, but should rather inspire you to get your butt into gear before other graphic designers leave you in the dust!

So no matter what age you are or what stage you are in, we have created a list of things you can do to get your dream graphic design career going in the right direction.

Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

1. Major in Graphic Design


2. Figure Out Your Specialization


3. Plan Your Credits Carefully


4. Take Advantage of Your Counselor and Teachers


5. Take Advantage of Career Services


6. Become Involved in School Events


7. Develop Friendships With Your Classmates


8. Get an Internship


9. Get a Certificate in Graphic Design


10. Practice Your Photography


11. Learn HTML, XHTML and CSS


12. Take Some Business Courses


13. Master the Adobe Suite


14. Stay in Touch With Your Roots


15. Express Your Creativity


16. Create a Portfolio Website


17. Create a Print Portfolio


18. Create Your Own Personal Identity System


19. Create a Resume and Cover Letter


20. Research Job Requirements


21. Start Freelancing


22. Take Advantage of Design Contests


23. Build Up Your Vault of Free Design Resources


24. Get the Graphic Artist Guild Handbook


25. Start Networking

For more information : http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/10/08/25-graphic-design-career-preparation-tips/

Things to remember before and after your exams.

What are the most important things to do the night before an exam?

Don’t skip meals. Food is fuel for the brain, so make sure you get enough of it. Get some sleep, so you’re not tired for the big day. Get some fresh air and exercise.

What should I do on the morning of the exam?

• Eat breakfast – it’s hard to concentrate on an empty stomach.
• Give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam.
• Read all the instructions carefully when you’re in the exam room, and make sure that you understand the question before you start to answer it.
• For essay questions, write a plan first to help make sure you don’t miss anything out. Don’t spend too long on any one question – although it makes sense to spend longer on a question with 20 marks than one with only two.

Golden rules for revision

• Keep the noise down. Find yourself a quiet place to work and take regular breaks to keep your mind fresh.
• Reminders. Write important points, facts and formulae on sheets of paper and stick them by your bed, in the bathroom, on the fridge - anywhere you’ll see them regularly so they will sink in.
• Test yourself. Sit down and test yourself with past exam papers and try them against the clock.
• Highlight. The first time you read something, highlight the most important points. Use different colours and symbols to help you remember the important facts.
• Break it down. Summarise or break down whole chapters and subjects onto cards or single sheets of A4.
• Plan it. No matter how clever you are, the odd hour slotted round the TV or sports practice isn’t enough. Before you start, draw up a revision plan and keep to it. Give each subject a decent amount of time.
• Tape it. You could try putting important information on tape – some people find this helps them remember.

Life after exams
It’s important to keep things in perspective when you’re waiting for your exam grades. Yes, it’s great if you do get the grades you want, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. Remember, you can retake them next year. There’s always the option of taking them again later in your career.
Think positive! If you believe you’re going to succeed, you probably will.

Fresh Out of College?

Fresher and no job from campus? It is not a very comfortable situation to be in. You spent a fortune trying to acquire the professional degree, and worked very hard to earn that degree. The reward for all your efforts will follow, but one needs to be a little patient and work towards it. Getting depressed about the fact is not going to help.

First and foremost requirement is to probe oneself. What skills did you lack to get that dream job from the campus itself? Go, work to acquire those skills. Improve your command over the language, your confidence and brush up your presentation skills.

If not sufficient companies or no companies came to hire from your college, don't get disappointed, its time to approach them directly. Identify and make a list of companies of your choice. Find out the skills they would be looking for and do you have those skills? Find out the business of the company and identify how both you and the company can benefit from each other. Every job aspirant must be approaching them, so how to make yourself stand apart from the rest?

First impression is always from your résumé and the covering letter attached. Always send a neatly typed biodata. Don't know what to write in your résumé? Emphasize your objective for your career choice, your expertise area, your achievements and leave all the personal details towards the end. As a fresher you may attach details of the specialized courses you attended, any specialized training attended and achievements. In the covering letter, you may mention briefly your skills and the position you are applying for.

Try to speak to the HR personnel of the companies and give your résumé directly to them, explaining why you want to work with the company. Follow up with the company. Not all freshers recruited from campus join them and some vacancies may still exist. Following up may help get a job.

The best practice is not to wait to graduate, to start looking for a job, but eight to twelve months before graduating. Most companies come for campus recruitment in the final year and that's the time one should start gearing up for a job and approaching prospective employers.

Your efforts will definitely pay up. Don't get disheartened and work towards your goal.

Source : http://www.careerage.com/career/tips/fresher/

Your Career Growth Plan

It is important that you construct your own career growth plan, since only you can decide what career or job environment interests you. Although developing this plan is your responsibility, we encourage you to enlist the guidance and assistance of other resource people. Most important are your supervisor or staff in the Board's EEO Office or Personnel Management Division.

Setting Your Career Goal
Your goal should represent what you ultimately hope to accomplish. This goal may be to obtain a specific position or to work in a specific career field. When you set your career goal, set a reasonable time frame indicating when you would like to reach your career goal. Your career goal may include a job that you're now qualified for as well as a job you want to qualify for in the future. However, keep in mind that your career goal should be realistic and attainable-one that is reachable through your ongoing developmental efforts.

Developing a Plan of Action
Develop a plan of activities to reach your goal. Think of this plan as a step-by-step statement of the specific activities needed to reach your goal-in the order in which they should be completed. These activities or objectives should focus on enhancing your education, skills, knowledge, or experience and should be measurable and tailored to achieve your specific career goal. You must be able to recognize when you are working toward your goal and when your goal has been accomplished. Be specific and set dates. You may also consider scheduling a meeting with someone that you believe can provide you constructive feedback on your plan.

Obtaining Approvals
Your plan may require the approval of your supervisor and the coordination and assistance of other units and supervisors because of the possible need for release time, funding, or other considerations. Based on the provisions of the applicable bargaining unit contract, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement from the state for an upward mobility program or for job-related or career-related training costs, including tuition and course-required books. With prior authorization from your supervisor, you may also be given release time for career-related or upward mobility training.

Pursuing Your Plan
The personal development aspects of a career development plan can be successful only if you are committed to the plan. You should be prepared to commit a portion of your own time and effort to accomplish this plan. Completing your planned work experience and/or training activities is your responsibility. You'll need to seek help when necessary, be flexible, and periodically reassess your career development plan.

How to develop your Interpersonal skills-Group Discussion

In the group discussion participants discuss a problem or an issue. it is a forum for presenting your views to a group of people. You may or may not arrive at a perfect solution .remember the following tips that you and your Classmates should follow before you begin the given activity.

• Each member of the group should introduction yourself to the guide at first.
• Understand the subject of group discussion.
• Pay attention to the views of others.
• Contribute to the ideas clearly and effectively.
• Avoid interrupting the group discussion.
• Avoid monopolizing and let others to speak.
• Deliver of ideas should be quick and brief.
• Wait for a natural pause in the conversation before you present your view.
• Always have a smiling face throughout the group discussion.
• Try to genuinely seek a solution to the issue instead of heated argument.
• Views should be positive. If there any disagreement, criticize the idea and not the person.

Career considerations

Once you have a good idea of the career you want, the next step is to consider how you’re going to make it happen. As well as practical issues like location, salary and the job market, you may need to look into updating your skills and qualifications.


Things to consider when researching careers

After you’ve drawn up a shortlist of potential careers, there are a number of issues you’ll want to consider before putting your plan into action.

Location

If you’re not prepared to move, you’ll need to consider location. While you can probably find work as a travel agent in most large towns, if you’re looking to get into TV production there are likely to be more opportunities in London and other major cities.

Salary

You’ll have opportunities for promotion in most careers – but this doesn’t always translate to lots more pay. Is doing something you love more important than a large salary?

The job market

There’s competition in most careers, but some are more competitive than others. Careers that are seen as ‘glamorous’ can be difficult to get into without plenty of unpaid work experience, enthusiasm and a certain amount of luck. If you’re attracted to a career like this, are you prepared to put in the extra effort?

Career progression

What opportunities are there to progress within the careers you’re looking at? Once you’re in, how would you get to the next stage - either within the same line of work, or in a related field? What training is likely to be on offer?

Which career is right for you?

Finding the right career can be hugely rewarding, so it’s worth putting some effort into career planning. Start by thinking about what motivates you as a person, then identify careers that match your skills and interests.

Finding a career to suit you

While it can be tempting to skip straight to looking at specific careers, it’s often a good idea to first spend some time thinking about what motivates you as a person.

What are your interests, inside and outside work - and what are you looking for from a career? Once you’ve worked this out, you can start building up a picture of your ideal job - then find out which careers match it most closely.
Career planning: where to start

Unless you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to do, it can be difficult to know where to start. And if you do have a career in mind, how do you know whether you’ve considered all your options?

As a starting point, you could try sitting down with a piece of paper and listing:

* courses you’ve taken in the past, or are taking now
* any jobs you’ve had, including voluntary work
* interests outside work
* any other significant experiences, like travelling

Then ask yourself:

* why you chose to do them
* which parts you really enjoyed
* which parts you found frustrating or boring
* which parts you were best at
* which parts you found a challenge
* what other people have said about your contribution
* what other people have told you you’re good at

You should start to see some patterns emerging: the types of skills you enjoy using, the sort of environment you perform best in and the types of people you like working with.

You can use this knowledge to help pinpoint areas of work you might enjoy.

Career Tips for Interviews

The job interview can be a stressful and intimidating process. Through the experience gained by connecting job seekers with employers, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development wanted to share some key principles that will assist to make your job interview a positive experience. While no one job interview secures employment, it is your opportunity to communicate your skills, personality, attitude and work ethic to your prospective employer. Along with both personal and professional references, work experience, employability history, resume and introductory letter, all of these aspects help an employer determine if you are the right candidate for an opening. With that said, it is imperative that all of these areas receive your attention through the job hunting phase. Often young people face the challenge of limited work experience with little or no employment history. A good substitute, in this case, would be to include grades from high school or college courses which may reflect ability in a particular career cluster.

This list touches on key aspects of the interview and is in no way considered all inclusive.

• The interview is your opportunity to sell yourself

• Be prepared.

• Interviewing is a skill and can be learned.

• Through practice - your confidence will grow.

• The interview creates impressions - consider your dress, communicate your strengths, show your personality

• Remember your purpose, to let an employer learn about you and for you to learn about the employer. You need to be sure that this is the place for you.

• Expect the expected! In other words, in the interview you will be discussing several issues about yourself. These areas include your interests, your skills, your education, your experience, your attitude, your strengths and weaknesses and also your career goals (5-year/10-year). If you are prepared, you can take charge and guide the conversation.

• Know who you are interviewing with. It sends a positive impression when you are knowledgeable of an employer's products, locations, history, services, etc.

• The interview: Be on time (10 minutes early), dress appropriately, be positive, smile, maintain eye contact, speak with confidence (practice helps), maintain your posture, answer the questions and be yourself.

• During the interview: Emphasize your strengths and abilities (not where you are weak) to demonstrate how you can benefit your employer. Never criticize a previous employer, teacher, etc.; it sends the wrong message. Do not discuss your personal issues and always say thank you to the interviewer.

• Regarding the salary question, know your worth. There are several ways of finding out what people in certain career fields and with certain skills and education levels earn. Be realistic. Often people hurt themselves on the salary question as asking for too little money can hurt your chances as much as asking for too much.

• After the interview: Make sure the employer knows how to get in touch with you. Follow up with a thank-you note to the interviewer and stay positive.

• Understand that if you do not get the job that it's okay and learn from the experience. Rejection is a very real part of a job search and in many ways teaches persistence.

Dress for Success

This information focuses on two critical aspects of the job interview which are your appearance and the message your body language is sending.

Dress

Remember that when you market your job skills it all starts with the first impression. How you look is imperative as an interviewer's assessment of you has already begun when you walk in.

Some key principles include:

• Your attire should be appropriate to the industry. This means dress professionally for your interview.


• Even if a company has a casual dress code, wear a suit to the interview. Chances are your competition is.


• Your attire should be conservative - both navy and black work well on men or women, with a simple white or off-white colored shirt or blouse.


• Jewelry, ties or other accessories should be limited and tasteful.


• For women short skirts and open-toe shoes do not look as good as skirts that hang near or to the knee with hose and closed-toe shoes. Avoid bright, flashy colors. Pay close attention to your choice of make-up, purse and nails.


• Men should avoid casual shoes, turtleneck and sweaters for the interview. Socks should match your color of suit and your shoes must be shined.


• Your dress sends a message about yourself, your attitude and it's those small details that help gain an impression. Use your dress to your advantage by making the right first impression.

Non-Verbal Communication

The clothes you wear create an impression which is an important part of non-verbal communication, but so is body language. Here are some key principles as they relate to non-verbal communication.

• Maintain eye contact. If you must look away do not look down as this is sometimes perceived as being submissive.


• If you are asked to sit down, sit with your body leaning forward. Leaning back shows a relaxed attitude while leaning to either side looks awkward or evasive.


• If you shake hands at the beginning or end of the interview, do so firmly while maintaining eye contact.


• Try to reflect very little emotion. It's okay to laugh along with the interviewer but not on your own.


• Keep your chin up even if you do not feel that you have done your best.


• Be proud for taking the risk of putting yourself on the line.

Tips About Career Consulting Firms for Job-hunters

Before you sign a contract or pay anything to a career consulting company you have seen advertised, take the following precautions to protect yourself and your livelihood:

• Be skeptical of any employment service firm that promises to get you a job for an up-front fee and guarantees refunds to unhappy customers.

• Consider the cost versus the likely benefit of their services.

• Ask to meet with the representative in his or her office, rather than a hotel room or other temporary location.

• Get a copy of the firm’s contract and review it carefully prior to signing. Understand the terms and conditions of their refund policy. If oral promises are made that do not also appear in the contract, reconsider doing business with them or, at a minimum, have these written into the contract.

• Check the company's track record in Georgia and nationally through the Better Business Bureau. Remember, even if there are no complaints, they may have changed names or may be too new for complaints to have been registered against them.

• Follow up with the corporate office of any employer listed in an employment service ad to confirm that the company is really hiring.

• Be wary of firms promoting "previously undisclosed" federal government jobs. All federal positions are announced to the public.

• Do not give out your credit card or bank account information on the phone unless you are familiar with the company and agree to pay for something. Anyone who has your account information can use it to take money from your account.

• If you call an 800 number, you cannot legally be transferred to a 900 number. If this happens, you will be charged excessive fees in violation of federal law.

Sole parents - 10 career tips to help you unleash your potential

Sole parents face many challenges. They often need to juggle a whole range of different issues – childcare, family, home, work, education and financial management on their own. Here are ten tips which will help you to develop your career.

1. Take responsibility for your life & career - take charge

Be proactive and positive. Self care is an important step - only after you look after yourself can you look after others! Be kind to yourself, this can be a positive growth process - if you allow it! Be the best parent you know how to be and be proud of yourself. Ban the “G” word from your vocabulary (guilt). You don’t need to be a victim to external circumstances. You are in charge!

2. Make a 'date' with yourself

Don’t jump straight into preparing your resume; you deserve to take “time out” to think. Do a “stocktake” of your skills, values and interests. Your life experiences provide a wealth of knowledge and skills you can tap into. This can include both paid and unpaid work and volunteer jobs. Think about childhood dreams – is there something you always wanted to do? Get in touch with “yourself” – what are your talents? What resources are available on Australian WorkPlace and other websites to help you do your “stocktake”.

3. Know your challenges

Facing your challenges and fears helps you to deal with them. As a sole parent, there may be a variety of issues to deal with, such as childcare, financial stability and commitments, relationship and ongoing role of ex partner, negative perceptions of a “sole parent”, fear of failure, lack of formal education or qualifications, age and conflicting needs between home and work, etc. The important thing is to realise that if things are getting too hard for you – you don’t have to do it alone. Seek help and counselling if needed. It helps to have someone to talk to.

4. Getting the work-life balance right

There are many aspects of your life you need to consider. As a sole parent – you wear many hats – and often at the same time! Think about the things that are important to you ie work/family/study/interests and consider a portfolio approach. Work out what will guarantee your income and allow you the freedom to do things you feel passionate about including education and training. You may need time to explore and discover your direction.

5. Nurture your support networks

Childcare is often the most difficult issue and contingency plans must be in place. Meeting other people in the same situation as you can lead to many positive opportunities. Know the supports in your local community and availability of childcare. Build your network of family and friends who can help and support you.

6. Trial and error without judgement

Exploring is an exciting time, where you are heading in a different direction and trying out new things. Taking risks is necessary and at the same time learning not to judge yourself on the results. Exploring involves risks otherwise there would be no growth. Find a direction you are interested in and take small steps. Find the things that energise you and give them a try. Ideas such as home based business may be a possibility. The internet is a great place to help you explore ideas.

7. Network, network, network

Take time to talk to others about opportunities and ideas. Generally people like talking about themselves and what they do. As a sole parent – you already are a good networker – look at all the people you talk to during one day!

8. What education and training do you need?

The JET advisor at Centrelink is an excellent contact. Courses such as Work Opportunities for Women through TAFE can help you find a direction. Make an appointment to see the Counsellor at TAFE or University to help you research study choices. Local community centres may offer courses as well. This can help ease you back into study and help give you the confidence to move forward.

9. Reality check

Talk your ideas over with a trusted colleague or friend for a different point of view.

10. Inspiration

There are many web sites which can give you information and ideas. The internet is also an excellent medium to meet other sole parents. Explore sites such as

• Community.gov.au information and services for Australians

• Parent Link

• The Single Parent Network

• Single Parents

Career Tips

Work in the outdoors and make a difference!


EMPLOYERS
Positions are usually in government agencies or non-profit organizations. Many people begin with a seasonal position to gain experience and get a feel for the variety of opportunities available. These positions often do not offer the full range of benefits such as insurance and retirement, but they do offer greater flexibility and experience that can lead to a better position later on.

Electron microscope

How would the field of science have developed without the invention of the microscope? Although magnification by simple lenses has been practiced since ancient times, the first compound microscope wasn't discovered until the late 16th century. While experimenting with a pair of lenses mounted on a sliding tube, Dutch spectacle makers -- Zaccharias Janssen and his son Hans -- discovered that nearby objects appeared enlarged. In 1609, Galileo improved upon their experiments and worked out the principal of lenses with a focusing device. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland, often referred to as the father of microscopy, developed lenses that could magnify objects up to 270 times and made numerous biological discoveries with microscopes he built. By the early 1900s, the compound microscope had evolved to its present form. Although sophisticated, special-purpose, modified microscopes have emerged since then, modern light microscopes still cannot distinguish objects smaller than half the wavelength of light and have limited magnification capabilities. In the 1930s, German scientists Max Knott and Ernst Ruska introduced the electron microscope, which utilizes an electron beam with a smaller wavelength. This invention now allows scientists to magnify at levels up to 500,000 times.

Obama Plans to Boost U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, Set Benchmarks

President Barack Obama plans to send 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to train local forces and set benchmarks for progress in battling militants there and in Pakistan, administration officials said.

The president’s new strategy for turning the corner in the eight-year-old war, to be announced this morning, comes amid increased insurgent activity and before Afghanistan’s presidential and provincial elections scheduled for Aug. 20.

Obama also would support legislation to boost economic aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year in exchange for that country cracking down on Taliban and al-Qaeda militants hiding out along border, the officials, who briefed reporters last night, said.

The administration began outlining the new strategy for members of Congress yesterday. Obama also will be discussing it with other leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization when he meets with them for a summit April 3-4 on the French- German border. The administration has been pressing the allies to shoulder more responsibility in Afghanistan.

The 4,000 extra U.S. troops, which are in addition to the 17,000 military personnel Obama already has ordered to the country, will prepare Afghan forces to take a bigger role. All the extra troops are scheduled to be in the country by fall.

“They are going to stress training the Afghans,” House Defense Appropriations subcommittee Chairman John Murtha said after a briefing by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

‘Realistic’ Goals

Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said the goals of the strategy are “realistic.” He described them as: “Train the Afghans and then get the hell out of there.”

The new U.S. approach also includes strengthening Pakistan through more aid, as proposed by Senators John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican.

Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said parts of the plan “are very constructive and positive,” citing the need to get trainers into the country. He said he’s still concerned about terrorist bases in Pakistan.

The administration plans stepped up diplomacy in the region, as well. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Iran’s planned participation next week in an international conference on Afghanistan. Iran “has a role to play in the region, and we hope it will be a constructive role,” Clinton said yesterday in Mexico.
Sources : http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afZ_eWlhL6a0&refer=home

New Evidence From NSF-funded ANDRILL Demonstrates Climate Warming Affects Antarctic Ice Sheet Stability

A five-nation scientific team has published new evidence that even a slight rise in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, one of the gases that drives global warming, affects the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The massive WAIS covers the continent on the Pacific side of the Transantarctic Mountains. Any substantial melting of the ice sheet would cause a rise in global sea levels.

The research, which was published in the March 19 issue of the journal Nature, is based on investigations by a 56-member team of scientists conducted on a 1,280-meter (4,100-foot)-long sedimentary rock core taken from beneath the sea floor under Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf during the first project of the ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) research program--the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) Project.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), provided about $20 million in support of the ANDRILL program. The other ANDRILL national partners contributed an additional $10 million in science and logistics support.

"The sedimentary record from the ANDRILL project provides scientists with an important analogue that can be used to help predict how ice shelves and the massive WAIS will respond to future global warming over the next few centuries," said Ross Powell, a professor of geology at Northern Illinois University.

"The sedimentary record indicates that under global warming conditions that were similar to those projected to occur over the next century, protective ice shelves could shrink or even disappear and the WAIS would become vulnerable to melting," Powell said. "If the current warm period persists, the ice sheet could diminish substantially or even disappear over time. This would result in a potentially significant rise in sea levels."

ANDRILL--which involves scientists from the United States, New Zealand, Italy and Germany--refines previous findings about the relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, atmospheric and oceanic temperatures, sea level rise and natural cycles in Earth's orbit around the Sun, through the study of sediment and rock cores that are a geological archive of past climate.

The dynamics of ice sheets, including WAIS, are not well understood, and improving scientists' comprehension of the mechanisms that control the growth, melting and movements of ice sheets was one of NSF's research priorities during the International Polar Year (IPY). The IPY field campaign, which officially ended March 2009, has been an intense scientific campaign to explore new frontiers in polar science, improve our understanding of the critical role of the polar regions in global processes, and educate students, teachers, and the public about the polar regions and their importance to the global system. NSF was the lead agency for U.S. IPY efforts.

The cores retrieved by ANDRILL researchers have allowed them to peer back in time to the Pliocene era, roughly 2 million to 5 million years ago. During that era, the Antarctic was in a natural climate state that was warmer than today and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were higher. Data from the cores indicate the WAIS advanced and retreated numerous times in response to forcing driven by these climate cycles.

Powell and Tim Naish, director of Victoria University of Wellington's Antarctic Research Centre, served as co-chief scientists of the 2006-2007 ANDRILL project that retrieved the data and are lead authors in one of two companion studies published in Nature.

Naish said the new information gleaned from the core shows that changes in the tilt of Earth's rotational axis has played a major role in ocean warming that has driven repeated cycles of growth and retreat of the WAIS for the period in Earth's history between 3 million and 5 million years ago.

"It also appears that when atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reached 400 parts per million around four million years ago, the associated global warming amplified the effect of the Earth's axial tilt on the stability of the ice sheet," he said.

"Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is again approaching 400 parts per million," Naish said. "Geological archives, such as the ANDRILL core, highlight the risk that a significant body of permanent Antarctic ice could be lost within the next century as Earth's climate continues to warm. Based on ANDRILL data combined with computer models of ice sheet behavior, collapse of the entire WAIS is likely to occur on the order of 1,000 years, but recent studies show that melting has already begun."

The second ANDRILL study in Nature--led by David Pollard of Pennsylvania State University and Rob DeConto from University of Massachusetts--reports results from a computer model of the ice sheets. The model shows that each time the WAIS collapsed, some of the margins of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet also melted, and the combined effect was a global sea level rise of 7 meters above present-day levels.

Whether the beginnings of such a collapse could start 100 years from now or within the next millennium is hard to predict and depends on future atmospheric CO2 levels, the researchers said. However, the new information from ANDRILL contributes a missing piece of the puzzle as scientists try to refine their predictions of the effects of global warming.

The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted that because so little is understood about ice sheet behavior it is difficult to predict how ice sheets will contribute to sea level rise in a warming world. The behavior of ice sheets, the IPCC report said, is one of the major uncertainties in predicting exactly how the warming of the globe will affect human populations.

"From these combined data modeling studies, we can say that past warming events caused West Antarctic ice shelves and ice grounded below sea level to melt and disappear. The modeling suggests these collapses took one to a few thousand years," Pollard said.

Pollard and DeConto also underscored the role of ocean temperatures in melting of the ice.

"It's clear from our combined research using geological data and modeling that ocean temperatures play a key role," DeConto said. "The most substantial melting of protective ice shelves comes from beneath the ice, where it is in contact with seawater. We now need more data to determine what is happening to the underside of contemporary ice shelves."

The ANDRILL Science Management Office, located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, supports science planning and the activities of the international ANDRILL Science Committee (ASC). Antarctica New Zealand is the ANDRILL project operator and has developed the drilling system in collaboration with Alex Pyne at Victoria University of Wellington and Webster Drilling and Exploration.

The U.S. Antarctic Program and Raytheon Polar Services Corporation (RPSC) supported the science team at McMurdo Station and in the Crary Science and Engineering Laboratory, while Antarctica New Zealand supported the drilling team at Scott Base.

Award to Recognize Phoenix Mars Lander Team

The team that developed and operated NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission will receive the 2009 John L. "Jack" Swigert Award for Space Exploration from the Space Foundation.

During five months of operations at a Martian arctic site after landing on May 25, 2008, the Phoenix spacecraft confirmed the presence of frozen water just below the surface, identified potential nutrients and other substances in the soil, and observed snow in the atmosphere.

The Space Foundation, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., announced Feb. 19 that it will present the award to the Phoenix team on March 30, during the foundation's 25th National Space Symposium, in Colorado Springs.

The annual award honors the memory and legacy of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert.

The Phoenix team is a collaboration of several organizations. Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is supported by an international team of science co-investigators. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., provided project management, mission management, and technical collaboration with the science and spacecraft teams. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, provided spacecraft development, assembly and testing, and flight-system mission operations support. International contributions have been provided by the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; the Max Planck Institute, Germany, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.